Factors affecting annual prices of California fresh grapes, 1921-1929

Mallory, L; Smith, S; Shear, S

Factors affecting annual prices of California fresh grapes, 1921-1929

Authors

L. D. Mallory
S. R. Smith
S. W. Shear

Authors Affiliations

L. D. Mallory was Research Assistant in Agricultural Economics; S. R. Smith was Temporary Research Assistant in the Federal Farm Board; S. W. Shear was Associate Agricultural Economist in the Experiment Station and Associate Agricultural Economist on the Giannini Foundation.

Publication Information

Hilgardia 6(4):101-130. DOI:10.3733/hilg.v06n04p101. September 1931.

PDF of full article, Cite this article

Abstract

Abstract does not appear. First page follows.

This paper presents the results of an analysis designed to discover and measure the influence of the major factors that have affected the season’s price of each class of California fresh grapes—table, black-juice, and white-juice.

The total quantity of California grapes produced in any one year is determined by the bearing acreage, the environmental conditions of growth in that year, and the care expended in their culture. During any one harvesting season, therefore, the total available supply of grapes is not subject to great change. Because the supply of fresh grapes for any given season is relatively fixed it is primarily price-determining rather than price-determined. However, the two-way usage of raisin grapes has some effect upon the quantity of that class of grapes marketed fresh. Raisins take a large portion of the crop, and the relative profitableness of shipping fresh or of drying into raisins influences the amounts utilized in one way or the other. The two uses, however, tend toward equality of returns. With a relatively fixed supply for any given year, changes in price other than those accounted for by year-to-year changes in fresh shipments, therefore, are the result of factors influencing demand. Because of this fact, a large part of this study is devoted to factors which have influenced the demand for fresh grapes.5

Literature Cited in Tables

[1] Shear S. W., Gould H. F. Economic status of the grape industry. California Agr. Exp. Sta. Bul. 1927. 429:1-126. (June). http://archive.org/details/economicstatusof429shea

[2] Stillwell E. W., Cox W. F. Marketing California grapes. U. S. Dept. Agr. Cir. 1928. 44:1-153. (August).

[3] Cox W. F. Statistics of California grape distribution for 1928. 1929. U. S. Dept. Agr. Bur. Agr. Econ., California Vineyardists Association, Associated California Fruit Industries and California State Division of Markets cooperating. mimeo. issued by California Division of Markets, about 30 pages, not numbered

[4] Cox W. F. Statistics of California grape distribution for 1929. 1930. U. S. Dept. Agr. Bur. Agr. Econ., California Vineyardists Association, Associated California Fruit Industries and California State Division of Markets cooperating. mimeo. about 50 pages, not numbered

[5] United States Department of Agriculture Bureau of Agricultural Economics. Carload shipments of fruits and melons from stations in the United States for the calendar years 1920, 1921, 1922, and 1923. U. S. Dept. Agr. Statis. Bul. 1925. 8:1-78.

[6] U. S. Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Agricultural Economics. Car-lot shipments and unloads of important fruits and vegetables for the calendar years 1924-1926. U. S. Dept. Agr. Statis. Bul. 1928. 23:1-145.

[7] Cox W. F. Market news reports on grapes 1929. U. S. Dept. Agr. Bur. Agr. Econ. Mimeo. in Fresno daily during the greater part of the marketing season, (Aug. 5-Nov. 12).

[8] Schultz C. E. Marketing California grapes, summary of 1926. Mimeo. U. S. Dept. Agr. Bur. Agr. Econ. 1927. p.103. (June).

[9] Willson H. F., Foote J. M. Marketing California grapes, summary of 1928 season. Mimeo. U. S. Dept. Agr. Bur. Agr. Econ. 1929. p.103. (August).

[10] Googe W. D. Marketing California grapes, summary of 1929 season. Mimeo. U. S. Dept. Agr. Bur. Agr. Econ. 1930 (August). p.40.

[11] Ezekiel Mordecai. Statistical analyses and the “laws” of price. Quar. Jour. Econ. 1928. 42:199-227. (February). DOI: 10.2307/1884046 [CrossRef]

[12] Schultz C. E., Hansen C. J. Summary of California grapes, season 1924. Mimeo. U. S. Dept. Agr. Bur. Agr. Econ. 1925 (July). p.76.

Also in this issue:

California crops in 1952: Production capacity attainable this year appraised on basis of trends and changes in past cropping patterns

Improving prune harvesting: Efficiency and cost compared for various hand and mechanical tree shaking and picking methods

Grape bud mite studies: Seasonal cycle searched for weak point to attack pest assumed to be responsible for abnormal growth

Brachyrhinus weevils: Spring spray treatment for pest control on nursery grown azaleas, rhododendrons, camellias, heather, other plants

Walnut aphid investigations: 1951 tests on Payne walnuts help develop economical control program under northern California conditions

Insects on baby lima beans: Control experiment using two applications of 5% DDT dust reduced insect injury and increased total yield

Corn earworm control on sweet corn: DDT leads list of effective of insecticides with methods of application as dusts pray important factors

Quick decline studies: Rootstock investigations test various top-root combinations in search of tolerant citrus varieties

Factors affecting California raisin sales and prices, 1922-1929